Terminal strip

ABSTRACT

A terminal strip comprising, in preferred form: an elongate base for supporting plural serially disposed electrical terminal insert means, and base comprising two perpendicular feed-through apertures therein, the terminal insert means having a pin selectively insertable through each one of the apertures for engagement with a terminal strip supporting surface to effect either upright or side mounting of the base to the surface. A pedestal having a plug insertable into the base is provided for additional support to the base upon side-mounting thereof.

United States Patent [I91 [111 3,904,266

Fitzpatrick 1 Sept. 9, 1975 TERNHNAL STRIP Primary ExuminerRoy LakeAssistant ExaminerE. F. Desmond 75 l t: D0 W.Ft t k,N ll,lll. I 1 men orn I zpa apervl e Attorney, Agent, or FirmMcCaleb, Lucas & [73] Assignee:Reed Devices, Inc., Glen Ellyn, lll. Brugman [22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1974[57] ABSTRACT [21 Appl. No.: 498,031

A terminal strip comprising, in preferred form: an elongate base forsupporting plural serially disposed 2? 339/198 g fi g electricalterminal insert means, and base comprising gz' "5 5 R 132/]; twoperpendicular feed-through apertures therein, the

terminal insert means having a pin selectively insertable through eachone of the apertures for engagement with a terminal strip supportingsurface to effect 339/[50 T, 198 R. 198 (1,198 K, I34

[56] References Cited either upright or side mounting of the base to thesur- ED STATES PATENTS face. A pedestal having a plug insertable intothe base 2,787,773 4/1957 Potter 339/198 R is provided for additionalsupport to the base upon 3,585,574 6/[971 Drapkin 339/l98 Rside-mounting thereof. 160L770 8/197] Bowley 339/l32 B X 4 Claims, 12Drawing Figures 27 20 21 28 5 f 112- 2.5 Q v l F' I TERMINAL STRIPBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The presentinvention relates in general to terminal strips particularly suitablefor supporting electrical connections.

2. Description of the Prior Art Terminal strips, also frequently knownas barrier strips or terminal blocks, have been provided for supportingelectrical connections, such as those typically required in electricaland electronic equipment. A terminal strip typically comprises a basefor supporting at least one electrical terminal insert connecting means,the latter usually having a plate with a hole therein for threadcdlyreceiving a screw for tightening together adjacently disposed electricalwires to establish electrical conductivity therebetween. A terminalinsert is frequently provided with an integral pin insertable into avertical feed-through insulating aperture in the terminal strip base forenabling wrap, solder or plug connection with electrical componentsdisposed beneath the surface onto which the base is uprightly mounted,such as a printed circuit board, the terminal insert being engageablewith the surface to support the base thereon.

As those familiar with electronic equipment will readily appreciate, itis frequently desirable to sidemount a terminal strip base in congestedlocations to accessibly complete electrical connections otherwiseperformed with difficulty when the base is in its upright position.

Prior known terminal strips have usually accom plished side-mounting byproviding specially fabricated terminal inserts having right-angle bendsexternal to the terminal strip. However, such externally bent termi nalinserts are generally alone insufficient to support the base.Accordingly, specially drilled mounting bores, perpendicular to thoseused for upright position mounting, for receiving screw fastenersextending through the terminal strip base and into its adjacentsupporting surface are additionally required, resulting in increasedmanufacturing and assembly expense.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a simple solution thisproblem, and comprises a terminal strip readily adaptable to eitherupright or side mounting without externally bent terminal inserts orspecially drilled mounting bores.

In general, the terminal strip of the present invention comprises a basefor supporting at least one easily fab ricated electrical terminalinsert means, the base comprising two perpendicular fced-throughapertures therein, the terminal insert means having a pin selectivelyinsertable through each one of the apertures for engagement with aterminal strip supporting surface to effect either upright or sidemounting of the base to the surface.

The base comprises at least one mounting recess therein for receivingmeans, such as a screw fastener, for uprightly mounting the base to asupporting surface. The invention further comprises at least oneinexpensively fabricated pedestal having a plug insertable into themounting recess, the pedestal comprising pedestal mounting means, suchas screw means disposed within a bore, having an axis perpendicular tothe axis of the plug. The pedestal provides additional support to thebase as required upon side-mounting thereof when the plug is insertedinto the recess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustratingthe basic features of the preferred embodiment of the present invention,showing a terminal strip side-mounted onto a supporting surface;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view taken substantially along the line 3-3of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view taken substantially along the line 5-5 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the basic features of apedestal used for providing support to a sidemounted terminal stripbase;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a support insert removably interfittinga recess in the terminal strip base for receiving screw means foruprightly mounting the base to a supporting surface;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 2, but enlarged and with parts in section,illustrating a side-mounted terminal strip, and also showing alternatefeed-through engage ment of a terminal insert into the terminal stripbase; and

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate the basic features of a barbed terminal insertmeans engageable with the terminal strip base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of thepresent invention comprises a terminal strip 20 shown side-mounted inFIG. 1, the terminal strip having an elongate base 21, made of plasticor other electrical insulating material, with a plurality of barriers 22for isolating one or more electrical connection chambers 23therebetween. Base 21 supports plural serially disposed electricalconnect ing means comprising terminal insert means 24 (FIGS. 1, 9-12),each having a conductive metal plate 25 (FIG. 9) and a central hole 26therein for threadedly receiving an electrical connecting screw 27(FIGS. 1, 8) cooperable with a square washer 28 to provide conductiveengagement with one or more electrical conductors (not shown) in a knownmanner.

Although terminal strip 20 is frequently uprightly supported in a knownmanner by terminal insert means 24 upon insertion thereof in afeed-through vertical aperture in base 21 and engagement with anonconductive supporting surface, such as a printed circuit board, inorder to provide additional support, at least one plastic support insert29 (FIGS. 1 and 7) can be provided, each such insert having a plateportion 31 with a lower square base portion 32 insertable into a squarerecess or hole 33 (FIG. 3) in the base 21 and associated with a chamber23. Each insert 29 has a hole 34 therein (FIG. 7) for receiving mountingmeans such as a screw fastener (not shown) for conventional uprightmounting of base 21 in a well-known manner, the heads of screws 27 beingparallel to the surface for such upright mounting.

As best shown in FIGS. I and 2, the terminal strip 20 can beside-mounted to a planar supporting surface 35 with the use of at leastone pedestal 36, each pedestal comprising a molded plastic body having aflat bottom 37 (FIG. 2) perpendicular to opposing side walls 38 and 39,and having an upper wall 41. Integral with side wall 38 is a U-shapedplug 42 (FIGS. 3, 6) removably insertable into a mounting recess 33 inbase 21, preferably at each end of the base as illustrated in FIG. 1.The axis of plug 42 is normal to side wall 38. The recess bounded by thethree walls of U-shapcd plug 42 provents interference by a connectingscrew 27 with the plug, the threaded portion of a screw 27 extendinginto this recess.

As best shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 8. each pedestal 36 comprises pedestalmounting means. preferably a screw means 43 disposed within a bore 44having an axis perpendicular to the axis of plug 42. Bore 44 includes aninternal ledge 45 for engaging the head of screw means 43, a nut 46being provided for threadcdly engaging the screw means on the undersideof supporting surface 35 to effect mounting of a pedestal 36 thereto.Thus, each pedestal 36 secures base 21 to surface 35 upon insertion ofplug 42 into recess 33.

As best shown in FIG. 4, base 21 comprises a plurality of feed-throughapertures 47 having axes thereof parallel to the central axes ofrecesses 33. Other feedthrough apertures or recesses 48 are provided(FIG. having axes perpendicular to axes of apertures 47 and parallel tothe axes of bores 44.

With reference to FIGS. 9l2, an easily fabricated terminal insert means24 comprises a pin 49 integral with its plate 25, pin 49 being eitherperpendicular to plate 25 (shown by solid lines in FIG. 11) or coplanarwith plate 25 (illustrated by broken lines), depending upon its intendeduse for supporting base 2] in either an upright (not shown) or side(FIG. 1) mounting position, respectively, these alternate arrangementsof pin 49 being accomplished with only minor tooling variations.Terminal insert 24 comprises a front barb portion 52 (FIGS. 9, 11 and12) normal to plate 25. When pin 49 is disposed perpendicular to plate25, a rear barb portion 53 (FIGS. 9, and II) is provided integral withpin 49, rear barb portion 53 being sheared from pin 49 when the latteris coplanar with its plate 25.

When terminal strip is in its upright mounting position (not shown), pin49 of each terminal insert 24 is normal to its plate to enable pininsertion into an associated aperture 47 (FIGS. 4 and 8). barb portions52, 53 at opposing sides of plate 25 being inserted (FIG. 8) intosnap-fit engagement into opposing recesses 54 and 55., respectively, inbase 21, to secure terminal insert means 24 to the base, recess 55 beingco-axial with aperture 47. When terminal strip 20 is in its side-mountedposition, as shown in FIG. 1, pin 49 of each terminal insert 24 iscoplanar with its plate 25, and is insertable through, and constrainedby, an aperture 48 (FIGS. 3, 5 and 8), front barb portion 52 beinginserted into snapfit engagement into recess 54.

Thus. terminal insert means 24 comprises pin 49 selectively insertablethrough either aperture 47 or aperture 48 for self-supporting engagementwith an aperture (not shown) in terminal strip supporting surface 35, toeffect dual-position mounting of base 21, without requiring a terminalinsert bend external to terminal strip 20 or specially drilled mountingholes in base 21. Where additional support is required, or where surface35 is electrically conductive, one or more pedestals 36 are provided forside-mounting base 21.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all its material advantages, the formdescribed being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

1 claim:

I. A terminal strip comprising: a base for supporting at least oneelectrical terminal insert means, said base comprising two perpendicularfeed-through apertures therein. said terminal insert means comprising apin selectively insertable through each one of said apertures forengagement with a terminal strip supporting surface to effectdualposition mounting of said base to said surface.

2. The terminal strip of claim I, wherein said terminal insert meanscomprises a barb portion, and said base comprises a recess for receivingsaid barb portion to secure said terminal insert means to said base.

3. The terminal strip of claim 1, wherein said base comprises at leastone mounting recess therein for re ceiving means for uprightly mountingsaid base to said surface; and a pedestal having a plug insertable intosaid recess. said pedestal comprising pedestal mounting meansperpendicular to the axis of said plug for sidemounting said base tosaid surface upon insertion of said plug into said recess; whereby saidpedestal supports said base upon side-mounting thereof.

4. The terminal strip ofclaim 3, wherein said pedestal comprises a boretherein having an axis perpendicular to the axis of said plug, and saidpedestal mounting means comprises screw means disposed within said bore.

1. A terminal strip comprising: a base for supporting at least oneelectrical terminal insert means, said base comprising two perpendicularfeed-through apertures therein, said terminal insert means comprising apin selectively insertable through each one of said apertures forengagement with a terminal strip supporting surface to effectdualposition mounting of said base to said surface.
 2. The terminalstrip of claim 1, wherein said terminal insert means comprises a barbportion, and said base comprises a recess for receiving said barbportion to secure said terminal insert means to said base.
 3. Theterminal strip of claim 1, wherein said base comprises at least onemounting recess therein for receiving means for uprightly mounting saidbase to said surface; and a pedestal having a plug insertable into saidrecess, said pedestal comprising pedestal mounting means perpendicularto the axis of said plug for side-mounting said base to said surfaceupon insertion of said plug into said recess; whereby said pedestalsupports said base upon side-mounting thereof.
 4. The terminal strip ofclaim 3, wherein said pedestal comprises a bore therein having an axisperpendicular to the axis of said plug, and said pedestal mounting meanscomprises screw means disposed within said bore.